Hostess Bars in Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Maggie FreemanUpdated July 20, 2017

The harbour town of Sihanoukville, on the gulf of Thailand in southern Cambodia, has miles of beaches and a lively nightlife, all of which appeal to the backpacking and vacationer set. Bars catering to Westerners include the famous Cambodian hostess bars, which employ a staff of young women who show visiting men attention to encourage them to drink and spend money. Sihanoukville can be difficult to navigate, and foreigners may not drive within the city, but a driver can take you to these popular bars.

The Blue Mountain

The Blue Mountain zone of Sihanoukville--close to downtown and the main market P’sar Leu, and adjacent to the main taxi stand--has a variety of hostess bars. This area of town is quite built up, relatively safe and primarily Vietnamese. The Kangaroo Kitchen in this district is a split guest house and hostess bar with reasonable rates and good accommodations.

Victory Hill

The Victory Hill zone in Sihanoukville is extremely popular with the budget backpacker crowd and has a nightlife to match. Rows of crowded bars, restaurant, and hostels mix in with low-key businesses and hostess bars. The Tropicana hostess bar is centrally located across the street from the popular expat hangout The Retox. Its two floors provide different experiences: dancing and music on the first floor and a more relaxed, low-key bar upstairs with a large porch overlooking the street.

Phum Thmey

Phum Thmey ("New Village" in Cambodian) lies next to the harbour in Sihanoukville. While new buildings characterise the town centre, this area remains mainly small huts and concrete shanties. Often referred to as the Chicken Farm by local expats, this slightly shady area offers low-rent hostess bars. The best is certainly the Biba Disco, a large wooden building in the heart of Phum Thmey with a great sound system and a large staff of dancers.

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About the Author

Maggie Freeman has been writing her way around the world since 2008. She has written about agriculture and voluntourism for such sites as Bootsnall.com and the Willing Workers on Organic Farms website. She also won five major poetry and prose competitions while in college. Freeman holds a Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Wayne State University.